Social Contagion Theory in Construction Safety: The Effect of Susceptibility to Peer Pressure on Worker Safety Compliance
Publication: Computing in Civil Engineering 2023
ABSTRACT
While many causes have been identified for worker safety violations, no studies empirically explored the social contagion effect of coworkers’ safety violations on worker safety performance. To fill this gap, this study empirically examined the changes in the workers’ safety compliance and risk-taking behavior in the presence of coworkers who adopted safety violations. The extended reality (XR) environment simulating a roofing task was used to monitor participants’ risk-taking behavior. The data regarding safety compliance and susceptibility to peer pressure were collected using subjective measures. The findings indicated that the extent to which one is susceptible to peer pressure influences the social contagion effect of safety violations and leads to compliance with safety rules at a surface level. This study calls for safety professionals and managers to recognize the differences between deep and surface compliance and the significant effect of peer pressure and social contagion on their implications for safety.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this chapter.
REFERENCES
Bingham, C. R., B. G. Simons-Morton, A. K. Pradhan, K. Li, F. Almani, E. B. Falk, J. T. Shope, L. Buckley, M. C. Ouimet, and P. S. Albert. (2016). “Peer passenger norms and pressure: Experimental effects on simulated driving among teenage males.” Transp. Res. Part F Traffic Psychol. Behav., 41, 124–137. Pergamon. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TRF.2016.06.007.
BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics). (2018). “Roofers and painters had highest rates of nonfatal falls. ” Accessed March 11, 2023. https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2018/roofers-and-painters-had-highest-rates-of-nonfatal-falls-to-a-lower-level-in-2016.htm.
Chen, Z., R. Takeuchi, and C. Shum. (2013). “A Social Information Processing Perspective of Coworker Influence on a Focal Employee.” Organization Science, 24(6), 1618–1639. INFORMS. https://doi.org/10.1287/ORSC.2013.0820.
Dielman, T. E., P. C. Campanelli, J. T. Shope, and A. T. Butchart. (1987). “Susceptibility to peer pressure, self-esteem, and health locus of control as correlates of adolescent substance abuse.” Health Educ. Q., 14(2), 207–221. Health Educ Q. https://doi.org/10.1177/109019818701400207.
Guo, B. H. W., T. W. Yiu, and V. A. González. (2015). “Identifying behaviour patterns of construction safety using system archetypes.” Accid. Anal. Prev., 80, 125–141. Pergamon. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.AAP.2015.04.008.
Hale, A., and D. Borys. (2013). “Working to rule, or working safely? Part 1: A state of the art review.” Saf. Sci., 55, 207–221. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SSCI.2012.05.011.
Hu, X., M. A. Griffin, and M. Bertuleit. (2016). “Modelling antecedents of safety compliance: Incorporating theory from the technological acceptance model.” Saf. Sci., 87, 292–298. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SSCI.2015.12.018.
Hu, X., G. Yeo, and M. Griffin. (2020). “More to safety compliance than meets the eye: Differentiating deep compliance from surface compliance.” Saf. Sci., 130, 104852. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SSCI.2020.104852.
Li, Z., S. Choi, and J. Y. L. Forrest. (2022). “Understanding peer pressure on joint consumption decisions: the role of social capital during emerging adulthood.” Young Consum., 24(1), 18–39. Emerald Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1108/YC-03-2022-1494/FULL/PDF.
Liang, H., K. Y. Lin, S. Zhang, and Y. Su. (2018). “The Impact of Coworkers’ Safety Violations on an Individual Worker: A Social Contagion Effect within the Construction Crew.” Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 15(4). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI). https://doi.org/10.3390/IJERPH15040773.
Mullen, J. (2004). “Investigating factors that influence individual safety behavior at work.” J. Safety Res., 35(3), 275–285. J Safety Res. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JSR.2004.03.011.
O’Dea, A., and R. Flin. (2001). “Site managers and safety leadership in the offshore oil and gas industry.” Saf. Sci., 37(1), 39–57. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0925-7535(00)00049-7.
Othman, A. A. E. (2012). “A study of the causes and effects of contractors’ non-compliance with the health and safety regulations in the South African construction industry.” Archit. Eng. Des. Manag., 8(3), 180–191. Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.1080/17452007.2012.683242.
Pooladvand, S., D. Ay, and S. Hasanzadeh. (2022). “The Neural Basis of Risk Attitude in Decision-Making Under Risk: fNIRS investigation of the Simulated Electrical Construction Task.” ISARC 2022- Proc. 34th Int. Symp. Autom. Robot. Constr.
Pooladvand, S., and S. Hasanzadeh. (2022). “Neurophysiological evaluation of workers’ decision dynamics under time pressure and increased mental demand.” Autom. Constr., 141 (December 2021): 104437. Elsevier B.V. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2022.104437.
Simons-Morton, B. G., R. Bingham, K. Li, C. Hu, L. Buckley, E. Falk, and J. Shope. (2019). “The effect of teenage passengers on simulated risky driving among teenagers: A randomized trial.” Front. Psychol., 10(APR), 923. Frontiers Media S.A. https://doi.org/10.3389/FPSYG.2019.00923/BIBTEX.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Computing in Civil Engineering 2023
Pages: 573 - 580
History
Published online: Jan 25, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Business management
- Data collection
- Employment
- Engineering fundamentals
- Labor
- Managers
- Measurement (by type)
- Methodology (by type)
- Occupational safety
- Personnel (type)
- Personnel management
- Practice and Profession
- Pressure measurement
- Public administration
- Public health and safety
- Research methods (by type)
- Roofs
- Safety
- Social factors
- Structural engineering
- Structural systems
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.